


Masks and Puppets

by Bobwasfound



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: (at some point), (wear ur masks lads), Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Minecraft, Angst, Enemies to Friends, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Kinda haha, Masks, Mild Language, Minecraft, Minecraft: Manhunt, Mystery, Secret Organizations, Slow Burn, Slow burn friendship?, Spooky moments, The Nether (Minecraft), lots of enemies to friends, realistic minecraft au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:34:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25618174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bobwasfound/pseuds/Bobwasfound
Summary: George leads a peaceful life in his simple town, working hard for a better life with his friend Sapnap. Sapnap seeks adventure at every turn while George decides to play it safe, but they're always there for each other.A danger creeps on their quiet livelihoods—the Masked. They go from town to town, stealing, kidnapping, and murdering. No one knows how they’re organized, where they come from, or why they’re attacking.George and Sapnap manage to catch the eye of a particular Masked with a unique smiley-face design. Now, if he wants to go back to a peaceful life, George has to figure out who the Masked are and what they want… while being hunted.
Relationships: Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), GeorgeNotFound & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Zak Ahmed & Darryl Noveschosch, Zak Ahmed & Dave | Technoblade, Zak Ahmed & MegaPVP
Comments: 27
Kudos: 179





	1. A Chilling Gaze

**Author's Note:**

> This story is inspired by jayofmemory's Branded!AU and CrystalNinjaPheonix's writing for the AU on tumblr :D If you like jacksepticeye, please go check it out!! It's awesome

The locks clicked as George went through them one by one. He gave the door a little shake, double-checking its security. 

He went over to the shop window, closing the blinds and shielding their remaining loot from the setting sun outside. The bones Sapnap gathered always sold well, but the spider eyes and string struggled to make sales. That wasn’t surprising for the spider eyes, at least.

He worried his lip. _Did Sapnap go monster hunting tonight?_ He couldn’t remember. _I really, really hope not._

George glanced at the small windows decorating his place. A little anxiety poked at his heart, pushing him to double-check their locks. _It’s better to be safe than sorry._

Taking a quick but careful look at the window locks, George hesitantly peered out into the darkness. Night came quickly, covering the ground with shadows that dissipated among the lantern-filled stone paths. The black of night obscured the plains and dark oak forest off the border of their town. 

After finishing up his lock checks for the night, George leaned against the counter, picking at his fingernails. Images flashed through his mind of his friend outside in the middle of the night, being ambushed, surrounded by too many mobs for him to handle, or the masked people in the paper, they’d quickly overwhelm him— 

A quick knock came from his door, freezing him in his tracks. His feet rooted to the ground as he watched the door, thankful that he locked it.

Another fast knock echoed in the shop, this time accompanied by a voice. “George, it’s me! Please let me in!”

Realization dawned on him. “Sapnap, oh my god,” he grumbled, dashing to the door and quickly unlocking it for his friend. 

Sapnap gave him a sheepish smile as he hurried into the shop. His massive backpack put his walk off-balance; it was stuffed to the brim and tightly zipped up. 

George quickly shut the door and flicked the locks into place again. “Sapnap, what the hell are you doing here? Don’t you know how dangerous it is to be wandering around after dark with all the stuff in the paper?”

Sapnap rolled his eyes at him as he swung his backpack onto George’s counter. “George, literally it’s fine. There haven’t been any attacks here yet, chill. I really wanted to show you all the loot I got tonight.” He tipped over the backpack, starting to pull items out and onto the counter. “Just get over here and look!”

George frowned. After checking the locks one more time, he went over to the counter where Sapnap splayed his items.

A magical sheen rolling over a bow in the center caught George’s eye immediately. “Oh my gosh—is that an enchanted bow?” George gasped. A hefty pile of bones and wads of string accompanied it on the table. 

Sapnap grinned proudly. “Yup. It was a lucky night, I found a skeleton with it. And, even better, the bow didn’t break when I killed it, but it’s super damaged. Do you think we could get it repaired at Mark’s place?”

George picked up the bow and examined it. He could feel its magic pulse where his hand gripped it, momentarily interrupting its flow through the splintered wood. Running his fingers over it, he felt a few spots fragile enough to snap. Unfortunately, neither he nor Sapnap had enough experience with an anvil to repair a bow and preserve the enchantment.

“Yeah, Mark could probably repair it.” _Probably for a price, though…_ He put it down delicately. “Sapnap, this is… This is really awesome! We could sell this for so much—wait, do you know what the enchantment is?”

“Nah, I just know it’s not Flame since the arrows weren’t, y’know, flaming,” Sapnap said. “And really? Do we have to sell this one?” He flashed his pair of puppy eyes, which prompted George’s unimpressed face. “...What if I want to keep it?”

“Sapnap--well, that would be really cool--b-but no, it’s already going to cost us to get it repaired and have the enchantment identified by Mr. Mcloughlin. I just hope we’re able to break even with the price.” The hints of a headache crept at the back of George’s skull at the worrisome thought. He stared down at the glimmering bow. It pulsed with enough power to kill someone without armor in a single shot. “Sapnap, just—when you saw the skeleton with the enchanted bow, did you _have_ to go after it?”

“Uh, yeah.” Sapnap scoffed, pulling himself up to sit on the counter. “There was no way I was letting that thing get away.”

George gave him an exasperated look as he settled on his store’s counter. “What if it _was_ enchanted with Flame, Sapnap?”

“...Probably would’ve been cooler if it were Flame.” 

“Sapnap, just…” George grabbed his brow in exasperation, sighing. “Look, I need you to swear to me...”

“Shit.”

George gave his well-crafted, exasperated face. “I meant like, promise…”

“Oh, sure.”

“Promise me you’ll be careful?” 

It was Sapnap’s turn to let out a little sigh.

“Please?”

“Yeah, of course I promise, George.” He gave a tender look, trying to hide a small wince. “I know how much it means to you, I just… I’ll seriously go crazy if I’m cooped up inside this place for too long,” he chuckled forcefully. 

George nodded and looked down again. He understood, but--he really didn’t.

They fell into a moment of silence as George went through the other items. “It’s good you got a lot of bones, we could definitely sell those for a lot,” He observed from the bulky pile Sapnap brought in. _About ten--we could trade them for a week’s worth of food from the farms._ Relief washed over George’s slight headache. At least they wouldn’t have to worry about food for a little while longer. 

Sapnap preened. “Yeah, I got lucky with the skeletons tonight. And the spiders. Unfortunately, there were no creepers out tonight, so no gunpowder.”

A shudder crept up George’s back. “I think that’s a good thing,” he mumbled. 

Suddenly, a scream came from outside the shop.

George snapped upright and stared at Sapnap.

They waited, frozen. Listening.

A few beats of silence passed.

“Uh… did you hear that?” Sapnap asked, slowly looking at the door.

“Yeah,” George whispered. “What… what could—” 

Another scream echoed, this time accompanied by a voice crying from outside. “Help! Help me, please!” 

“Oh my god...” George breathed as Sapnap shot into action, unsheathing the iron sword on his belt and rushing toward the door. “Sapnap, wait!”

He fiddled with the locks for a moment, ignoring George’s warning and quickly darting onto the streets of the town. 

George went to dash after him but paused. His belt was completely bare, he needed a weapon, _shoot…_

His eyes landed on the enchanted bow. Snatching an arrow on his way out, he darted outside to join his friend. 

Well-spaced lanterns on fenceposts brightened the streets of their town to stop mobs from spawning. Gentle shadows fell from the houses and shops, but streets among the town were otherwise decently lit.

“Shit, where did it come from?!” Sapnap demanded, pausing and listening closely again. “Dude, someone’s in trouble, we gotta help.” He looked around, holding his sword at the ready and searching for the source of the voice. George winced at the echoing clomps of Sapnap’s boots on the stone brick street. 

Worry and fear fizzed in George’s mind; he wanted to caution his friend again but also wanted to find the person in danger as quickly as possible. “I-I think it was coming from that way down the street,” he said with a shaking voice, pointing down the road to Sapnap’s left.

Sapnap immediately took off and George promptly followed, keeping his steps light. The only sound filling the night was their boots on the stone road; the screams had stopped, leaving them with no clear place to go.

Nerves ran up George’s spine as they crept under the flickering lanterns-- _what if a mob got in somehow?_ Fear seized his heart at the thought. George had faced mobs in previous adventures with Sapnap, but the idea of something deadly in the town made his heart race. 

_“Oh my god--_ there!” Sapnap hissed, shooting an arm out to stop George. A few dozen feet ahead of them stood a group of people against a wall. 

Three of them crowded a man against the wall and George realized—

Quartz-white masks covered their faces.

Ice shot through Geroge’s nerves. Each mask was different—one had a feline design with cat ears, a triangle nose, and whiskers. Its eyes were sharp almonds, designed from stark black ink. Another was decorated with horns, crude teeth, and glaring eyes, depicting some sort of traditional demon. 

The last one was different. It was a simple oval that covered the person’s entire face, contrary to the creature designs of the other two. Two dots and a curved line sat in the center of the mask, creating an eerie smiley face. 

Frozen in place and yet to be noticed, George and Sapnap watched as the Masked with the demon and cat designs crowded the struggling man against the building. They held up iron swords to his throat and gut. The Masked with a demon design held a hand firmly over the man’s mouth, keeping him from shouting for help again. The man dug around in his pockets, frantically searching for something.

The smiley face watched the interaction from a few paces away. The Masked observed his companions, silent and motionless as a statue. 

Staring at them for longer, a realization hit George. None of the masks had holes for their eyes. _How the hell do they see out of those things?_

Sapnap snapped out of his shock and stepped forward, brandishing his iron sword at the Masked standing apart from the other two. “Hey, assholes, get away from him!”

The three masked heads snapped in their direction, followed but a frightened but hopeful glance upward by the man being robbed. 

Everyone was still for a moment.

The smiley-face bored into them.

George’s hair stood on end. Everything about them felt _weird_ and _wrong;_ his instincts screamed at him to run _._ The way it stood and stared, unwavering, observing… Goosebumps began to cover his skin.

“Sapnap…” George whispered hesitantly, almost instinctively reaching out to pull his friend away from the abomination. 

Ignoring him, Sapnap took another step forward. “Get away from him, now.” 

The Masked slowly turned to face him, leisurely rolling its head to observe him further. It wore little bits of iron armor on its shoulders, forearms, and knees, but it didn’t have any complete pieces. An iron sword swung from its belt. 

The other two Masked kept their swords pointed at the man they were threatening but watched their companion and Sapnap with peaked interest. 

Sapnap glared. George opened his mouth one more time to caution his friend--but he was too late. 

The sword was out of the Masked’s sheath in a smooth blur, blocking Sapnap’s powerful blows in quick succession. He swiftly adjusted his stance with each of Sapnap’s swings; snapping into firm blocks. George’s heart skipped the moment he pushed back, throwing Sapnap off-balance. 

As he stumbled, the Masked threw a jab Sapnap barely deflected in time. Before he could regain his stance, the Masked swung again and again and again--Sapnap quickly trying to block each one and regain his footing. 

Finally meeting his swings with equal force and balance, Sapnap let out a growl of anger and furiously pushed against their momentary lock, causing their swords to roll down toward the floor. 

The Masked suddenly landed a sharp kick with its heel against Sapnap’s exposed knee. His leg buckled as he cried out in shock. As he stumbled, the Masked flung the sword out of his loosened grip. 

Rolling onto the floor, Sapnap shoved his hands up to block the next finishing swing by the Masked. 

Its sword raised above Sapnap’s chest. 

“STOP!”

The Masked snapped its head up.

George gripped the enchanted bow tightly in his hands, arrow pointed straight at the assassin’s chest. Fear pulsed through his nerves as he fought to keep his arms from visibly trembling. He held the arrow as firmly as he could and gripped the bow with white knuckles.

The emotionless mask stared back at him. It was unmoving, observing him once more. Its sword stayed pointing at Sapnap’s chest, keeping him pinned down while its mask locked onto George’s face.

_Oh crap._ George choked out his breaths, willing himself to keep the bow pointed at the Masked. _What do I do now?!_

“L-Let him go…” George stuttered, straightening his back and locking his eyes to the thing.

The eyes of the painted smiley face stared into him, as still as a waiting statue. Somehow, it could see George through the mask, even though it covered its entire face. 

The motionless gaze of the plain mask was firm and unrelenting. It stood like it was lifeless, but his every instinct screamed otherwise. It was a hunter lulling him into a false sense of security, poised to rip him apart. 

A sharp realization crept up George’s spine. It was observing, waiting—Waiting to see if he would look away first, admitting to weakness.

George didn’t let up. He forced himself to take slow, deep breaths in his nose and out his mouth, returning the mask’s hard stare with a steadfast glare.

“Let him go.” George put as much force as he could behind the demand, hoping it would be forceful enough to get Sapnap’s life out from the wrong side of the iron sword.

The Masked was still for a moment more. 

It tilted its head, eyes still locked to George’s, continuing to watch him. 

George’s heart pounded.

Slowly, the sword in Sapnap’s face retracted. The Masked stepped away, its stare still never leaving George’s eyes. It stepped back, allowing Sapnap to clamber to his feet and move to George’s side. 

The masked face tilted again, observing him. The Masked was alone now; the other two ran off earlier, leaving the last man still cowering against the wall.

George kept his bow pointed at the final Masked, glancing at Sapnap. “Hey, are you okay?” 

Sapnap tightened his headband with shaky arms. “Yeah, I’m good.” 

George looked back up at— _Shoot._

It was gone. 

Chills ran up his spine again as he lowered the bow, glancing around for any sign of it. He exchanged a quick glance with Sapnap, who shook his head. 

George stayed tense and scanned the nearby houses while Sapnap went over to the guy who the Masked robbed earlier. They man was rubbing at his shaking, tense shoulders but glanced up with an appreciative look when Sapnap walked over.

“Hey, are you alright?” Sapnap asked.

“Uh, yeah, I’m good. Thank you so much for helping me.” He gave a small smile. “They just--ugh. They were after my diamonds. What thugs…” 

George faltered. _He just… has diamonds on him?_ He exchanged a look with Sapnap. No normal person just carries diamonds on them anymore-- _if I had those kinds of resources, I wouldn’t just carry them around in a belt pouch…_

Noticing Sapnap’s brow furrow and mouth open, clearly about to say the same thing he was thinking, George quickly spoke up. “I’m really sorry for your loss, I wish we could’ve gotten here sooner.” 

The man gave another little smile and shook his head. “Don’t worry about it, it’s not too much of a loss. Still, thanks. I can’t really repay you with anything right now, but I’ll owe you a favor. My name’s Jonathan, if you ever need anything, just ask.” 

George gave him a strained smile and a nod, but Sapnap perked up at his offer. “Oh, uh, thanks! Where are you headed?”

He gestured down the street. “My friend’s house is down that way. It’s the one with the decorative trap doors— you couldn’t miss it.” They nodded and said their goodbyes as the man left. 

Sapnap took a few more deep breaths before walking over to where his sword laid in the dirt, giving it a once-over and brushing it off.

George observed his friend silently as a few moments passed between them.

“George… I—” 

“It’s okay, Sapnap.” He amended. “Let’s just get back to the shop.” 

Sapnap nodded and started to lead the way.

George glanced back. The streets were empty again, allowing the dark shadows of the night to become soft and peaceful. 

As he turned to follow Sapnap, the chilling nerves of being watched crawled up his spine. 


	2. Lost Knowledge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sunlight from outside crawled along the floor as he pushed the door open. His eyes ran along their various goods on the selves, finding nothing out of place. 
> 
> George gently shut the door behind him and eyed the doors in the back. If anyone did get in, they could be hiding in the door to his room or the door to his underground storage area. He kept them doors locked though…

George raised an eyebrow as Sapnap jogged up to him, panting.

“Yeah, I know, I’m sorry… I lost track of time.” He mumbled at the look George gave him.

“Lost track of time doing _what?_ Punching a wall?” George teased, turning to lead the way toward the blacksmith’s place. 

“Practicing… with a _sword,_ ” Sapnap grumbled back at him. “Anyway, can I hold the bow?” 

George complied with a sigh. The magic flowing through it glimmered in the sunlight, making it look even more beautiful as Sapnap pulled the string back as if he was readying an arrow. 

“You’re lucky no one’s out right now,” George said, rolling his eyes.

Sapnap shrugged him off and continued to mess with it as they made their way down the stone brick path. 

They approached the double-doors of Mark’s shop and George reached out to knock. Mark’s place towered over most of the shops nearby and was mostly built out of cobblestone and stone bricks. A window on the side let the sunlight shine on his smithing area and tools. A humble carved wood sign hung inside, carved to spell “OPEN.” 

As George pulled his hand back from knocking, heavy footsteps started from somewhere inside and walked up to the doors. 

The left door creaked as Mark opened wide. Soft eyes and a gentle grin beamed at them, accompanied by a mop of a messy black hairstyle and a short, rough beard. Dark burn stains covered his brown overalls. 

“Aw well, if it isn’t Sapling and George. What can I do for you today, gentlemen?” Mark’s smooth voice rang as a deep rumble in the morning.

Sapnap scoffed moodily at the nickname and stepped forward, presenting the bow and a boastful smile. “Hey Mark, guess what I won off a skeleton a few nights ago. Do you think you could repair it for us?” 

“Hm,” Mark approved, gently taking the bow from his hands and bringing it to his eye level. “Nice catch. Do you know the enchantment?” 

“Uh, not yet, but we’re gonna figure that out soon,” George responded, reaching for his pouch of iron and gold nuggets at his belt. “How much is this gonna cost?” 

Mark chuckled, holding the door open for them. “We’ll have to figure that out along the way. Why don’t you two join me in the shop? It won’t take too long.”

He led them through a cozy spruce hallway before taking a side door to his shop area. Various messes and burn marks around the room marked it as well-used, but grant. A hefty iron anvil displayed proudly in the center on a smooth stone half-slab. Close by, a cold furnace sat snug against the wall. A few shelves and drawers covered in various tools scattered about the edges of the room, some covered in dust. Lanterns hanging from the ceiling gave the cobblestone and stone bricks a homely glow. 

A clean table next to the window gleamed in the sunlight. George gaped as he realized— _Wait, is that new…?_ He walked over to it, brushing his fingers over the dark iron top. There were a few darker stains from previous use, but the iron surface was mostly fresh and untouched. A few small smithing tools hung from its wooden sides. “Oh wow—Hey Mark, did you get a smithing table recently?” 

Mark glanced over his shoulder from where he was searching through some of his bigger drawers. “Oh yeah! The thing has been in storage for a long time. I learned to use it ages ago, it never really had a good use until now.”

“How’d you learn?” George asked eagerly. “I mean, um, if you want to tell me. It’s just—smithing knowledge isn’t that common.” 

Mark pulled out a freshly-crafted bow from the drawer, smiling in response. “When I was much younger and en-route for an adventure, a Villager taught me. Hmm… gosh, now that I think about it, that must’ve been decades ago.” 

George paused. “Wait… A Villager?”

Mark chuckled as he walked over to the anvil, placing the new bow next to the enchanted one. “Yup.”

“But—I thought…” He glanced over at Sapnap—who turned out to be gazing mindlessly at Mark’s tools with a bored expression. George frowned. “I thought they were... extinct...?” 

“Hmm, well,” Mark grunted, tapping at the bows thoughtfully. “No one’s seen any for a very long time. Information doesn’t travel well around these parts. If you ask me, I’d say they’re still kicking somewhere out there.” He finished with a smile. 

George hummed in response. He could only imagine—the opportunity to see a Villager, and even learn from one? _That’d beat just running our shop here._

Suddenly, Sapnap gasped. “Mark! What happened to Tiny Cactus Tim?!” 

Sapnap frantically gestured at an empty flower pot next to the window. 

“Aw, I’m sorry Sapling. He died a few weeks ago. He was getting on thirty years old, anyway.”

“Damn.” Sapnap shook his head. “I’ve known that cactus for, like, ever.”

George glared at him for cursing. Sapnap rolled his eyes and mumbled to him, “I’ve known Mark for like, my entire life. He doesn’t care.” 

Mark sat down at his stool next to the anvil with a hefy laugh. Sapnap perked up as he placed the two bows onto it. “Are you repairing it now? Can we watch?”

“Sure, kiddo. Pull over the two stools over there.” Mark gestured as he placed a bowl of a blue paste next to the bows. 

Their stools squeaked along the floor as George and Sapnap dragged them over. Sapnap leaned forward eagerly.

“With most tools, we help the magic flow through new material using heat. But with bows, we can’t use heat since it’ll just damage the wood. Instead, I use a sticky lapis paste to merge the enchanted wood with the new wood. The lapis is what the magic uses to transfer to the new wood.”

“Cool! Can I try?” Sapnap beamed. George raised an eyebrow at him. 

Mark chuckled good-naturedly. “I would normally let you give it a go, but as simple as it sounds, it takes practice and precision to get the magic to flow through the paste and into the new wood.” 

“That’s okay,” George said, “we can just watch.” 

They fell into a soft silence as Mark worked. He used a small, flat iron tool to use pieces of the fresh bow and merge it with the enchanted bow with lapis paste. As he pressed two pieces together tightly, the dark blue paste gave a soft glow. George’s eyes widened as tendrils of the magic began to crawl into the new wood.

Sapnap broke the quiet hesitantly. “So, Mark… Have you heard of the, uh, Masked... Things... in the paper?” 

Mark glanced up at him. “Mm, yeah. Even saw a group of them earlier this week.”

George snapped up. “R-Really? Where?” 

“Over by the dark oak woods. Creepy guys, but I don’t think they’ll be much of a problem.”

“Uh—Really?” George frowned hesitantly. “Why do you say that?”

“The mayor said he’d employ more defenders to protect us from them.”

Sapnap scoffed from beside George, who frowned. _There weren’t any defenders last night when we were attacked._

“Speaking of which,” Mark glanced up at them as he applied the paste. “A vote for mayor is coming up soon. Are you kids gonna vote?” 

“Uh…” George floundered, and Sapnap took over.

“We don’t really get into the voting stuff. It doesn’t really affect us that much anyway.”

Mark hummed thoughtfully. “Well, I’d say it affects us all, in a way. The mayors take taxes in order to pay for things like defenders and road improvement—depending on the guy, you might have to pay a little more or a little less.”

George rubbed the back of his neck. “Uh, yeah, I guess.” 

Mark finished sealing some of the new wood. “Even if you don’t think it affects you much, you can vote for others. Some policies might not affect you, but it might the environment or your neighbor,” Mark added with a shrug. “And hey, doesn’t cost you a thing.” 

George nodded, biting at his lip in thought. 

A few more minutes passed as Mark wrapped up his work. He held out the glimmering bow—good as new. “Why don’t you kids do your research on the candidates this year, go vote, and I’ll only charge you half price.” 

George blinked in shock. “Wait, r-really? Isn’t the lapis paste, like, really expensive?” he blurted. _Wait, maybe shouldn’t have said that—_

“Hmm, a little, but I’m retiring soon anyway. The wife and I need to settle down at one point or another, and it seems that point will be coming up soon. I already got enough savings to keep us going for a while.” Mark said with a patient smile. 

George beamed. “Great! Thank you so much.”

* * *

Sapnap danced about the streets as he pointed their new bow at everything while they walked. George had to admit, it was much more impressive now. The glow of the enchantment glittered in the sunlight and pulsed with much more strength than before.

“Daaaang George, this is cool! Are you _sure_ we can’t keep it?” Sapnap stuck his tongue out as he aimed an imaginary arrow at one of the street lanterns.

George giggled. “Well… I dunno. We’re still short on money, even with the massive discount Mark gave us. Speaking of which, when are we gonna go vote?” 

Sapnap slowly lowered the bow, looking away. 

George paused. “Uhh… what is it?”

His friend sighed. “I dunno George, it’s just… the mayor exactly doesn’t _do_ much. It’s not like he really has the power to do anything worthwhile in this place.” He shrugged, offering the bow to George. 

He slowly took it from Sapnap’s hand. “Uh, I guess. I dunno, we should still vote though, if only for Mark’s deal with us.

Sapnap shrugged nonchalantly. “Yeah, guess so. Hey, when are we going to check out it’s enchantment?”

George wiped the sweat off his brow. “Uh, what day is it today?”

“Sunday, dumbass.” 

George scoffed and kicked at him. “Okay, Mr. Mcloughlin isn’t open today then. We’ll have to go tomorrow.” 

“How about I go shoot some mobs and take a guess at it?”

George rolled his eyes. “Yeah, right. We just had it repaired, you’re not gonna go damage it again.” He tried to think of the price Mr. Mcloughlin usually drove for an enchantment identification, but his mind only responded with a sense of dread. It would be a high price. _Hopefully I can scrounge up enough savings…_ After all, they could only sell it if they knew the enchantment. 

“Alright, I’m gonna head back to my place. Don’t lose my baby, okay?” Sapnap said, offering a little wave and taking off down an off-shoot sidewalk toward his place. 

George rolled his eyes. He was probably itching to get back to practicing his skills with a sword against a pumpkin-headed dummy. 

George kicked at pebbles on the empty road as he made his way home. The houses nearby were becoming more vacant by the day, and George didn’t know any of his neighbors, so he had no idea why. The shops nearby George’s place were run by merchants who lived elsewhere and tended to their place whenever they had something to sell. 

A shiver ran up George’s spine as he listened to the sound of his own footsteps on stone brick. The quiet his small town adopted was unnerving. _It’s becoming the perfect place for attacks from those… things._ He and Sapnap were the only people who went to the aid of that man—others were probably asleep at the same, but the idea of being attacked with no one nearby to come to his side made his heartbeat pick up. 

As the familiar cracks and missing bricks in the road began to accompany his feet on the stone brick, George glanced up to see his little place. His custom “closed” sign hung in the decently sized glass window showing off everything Sapnap won from his monster hunting adventures and George’s recourse gathering. 

George eyed the “open” signs of the other shops in the area, wondering if he should buy anything. _I really need to buy some more food soon. Hopefully with some more sales, I’ll get enough for another week._

George pulled the front door key out of his back pocket and fitted it into the lock. He froze as it gently swung open at the pressure. _Shoot. Did I forget to lock the door when I left?_ A spike of anxiety lept in his chest. _No—there’s no way. I_ always _check the locks._

He gently pushed it open further and peaked through. Everything sat quietly where he left it—layers of shelves, front desk, and items for sale. 

The sunlight from outside crawled along the floor as he pushed the door open. His eyes ran along their various goods on the selves, finding nothing out of place. 

George gently shut the door behind him and eyed the doors in the back. If anyone did get in, they could be hiding in the door to his room or the door to his underground storage area. He kept them doors locked though… 

The wooden planks on the floor creaked as he slowly crept over to the two doors. 

Approaching the entrance to his underground storage, he peered through the windows in the oak door. The darkness inside revealed nothing as it floated among the dust particles in the air.

_Looks empty…_ He reached for the doorknob, deciding to give it a little wiggle. _It should be locked…_

The doorknob clicked as it turned smoothly. _What—_

_THUMP!_

George whipped around at a loud noise coming from behind him—he shrieked—and the tip of a sword pushed up near his face. 

A Masked stood in front of him, pointing an iron sword between his eyes. The angry eyes of a white wolf mask stared him down. Tight black fabric and a single leather backpack strap wrapped around its thin, tall frame. 

_Shit, shit, shit—What the hell are they doing here?!_ George’s panicked breaths filled the once quiet room with sound. 

The door behind him creaked open swiftly, making him jerk and frantically glance back. A figure in the dark behind the door pulled it open, revealing another reflective white mask.

George gasped as it stepped toward him. The light caught on a long, bird-like beak on its mask and slowly crawled up its face as it revealed itself. 

He was trapped and frozen between the two Masked. 

The Masked with a bird design quietly shut the door behind him. George tightened his grip on the enchanted bow.

The Masked with a wolf design kept its sword casually pointed at him, staring intently at its friend. A thought hit George— _Wait, where did it come from?_

It came from right behind him… which meant— _Holy shit, it was on the_ ceiling. 

George’s breath sharpened. His back was against a counter and the only escape to his right was blocked by the Masked, who was… not paying attention to him. His eyes flickered quickly between each quartz face. Neither of the painted eyes faced him; they looked at each other. _Are they… What are they doing?_

A creak of the planks below his feet echoed loudly in the still silence that fell between them. 

_They’re pretty close to me now… I could just… lunge at one of them and take the mask off._

Righteousness built in his gut. He could figure out one of their identities—see the face behind the mask. Maybe lead to figuring out who was behind them all. 

_I can probably overpower the wolf one and bolt for the door—yeah, I can do that. I can do that._

The two masked faces snapped in his direction, empty eyes staring him down again. 

Fear snapped through his body and he bolted into action. George sprung toward the wolf mask, colliding with him and snapping his hands to the edges of the quartz-white mask and _yanking._

As they crumbled to the floor, fear shot through George’s body when the mask refused to budge. He was jerking its head along with the mask. As he tugged at the thing, a slight tingle shot through the nerves of his hands, just like the magic of the enchanted bow. 

The sword the Masked was holding clattered on the floor as it slipped from its hands, but it quickly recovered. Two powerful arms shot out to yank George’s hands away from its face and shoot out to his neck.

George yelped, trashing as he found himself on his back. He furiously kicked at the Masked’s legs and stomach and bit at the hands going for his neck.

The Masked was unfazed by the biting but became unbalanced by the kicking. George scrambled backward to get out and away from it, clawing at the floor to his feet and preparing to bolt to the door— 

He jerked as he almost collided with a sudden mass in front of him—a powerful, firm hand shot out, grabbing the front of his shirt. 

The smiley-faced Masked towered over him. 

His heart roared into a painful hammering in his chest. _Oh, shit._

The smiley-face stared down at him from half a foot of height over him. Short curls of blond hair poked out from behind the mask from underneath it’s hood. It wore the same combat gear it had a night ago—secure clothing and a collection of iron armor pieces.

George gave an experimental tug at its grip on the front of his shirt; it didn’t budge. It stared down at him, umoving. 

His lungs started to heave as he heard the other Masked recovering behind him. George flexed his fingers, realizing— _shit_ . He dropped the bow in the scuffle with the wolf Masked. _Shit, shit, shit._

George hesitantly glanced up at the smiley face again. Its gaze bored into him, as still as a statue once more. 

_Are those—wait._ George narrowed his eyes at the edges of the Mask. There were no straps, no strings, nothing—nothing to keep the mask on its face. _It’s just… stuck to its face. What the hell?_

Clothing rustled behind him as the other two Masked probably approached him. His heart hammered in his chest.

George looked pleadingly at the Masked holding him in an iron grip. “P-Please… Don’t hurt me, p-please let me go—” 

His breath hitched as the masked face jerked to stare at something behind him—probably at the other Masked. 

George gently tugged at the grip again as a queasy pressure built in his forehead. _Why the hell do they do that—stare at each other?_

Suddenly, the grip on his shirt relaxed. George let out a tight, stuttered breath as he looked back up at the smiley-face again and— 

Pain burst in the back of his head and—nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you've enjoyed! There's gonna be a few handfuls of world building in these first few chapters that I hope you guys don't mind :D I'm super excited to get into this story!!
> 
> Quick edit: When I first posted there was a lil error in formatting so I had to repost, sorry! :')

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed!! I'm really excited for this fic,,, any feedback is very appreciated :D
> 
> Have a good day/night!!


End file.
